Albert Ralph "A.R." Bawden

BAWDEN, ELDRIDGE, BUFORD, SCHWENKER, OKERBERG, DOUGHERTY, MULVAHILL, HART

Posted By: Carol Bawden (email)
Date: 4/4/2007 at 10:26:30

ALBERT RALPH BAWDEN was born 6 August 1886 in Muscatine, Muscatine County, Iowa, the eldest son of George Washington and Jennie Eldridge Bawden. The family moved back to Davenport in 1895 where Albert “A.R.“ graduated from Davenport High School in 1905 located on what is now Lincoln Academy for the Arts on Iowa St. just 2 months after his father’s death.

He began his career as a clerk with the First National Bank of Davenport, where he worked until he purchased the newsstand at the I & I Interurban Station at 117 Brady Street. In 1908, brother Ray, and in 1912, brother Harry joined him in the business, Davenport Postcard and Novelty. The name then became Bawden Brothers after WWI.

Albert married Mabelle Maude Buford on 15 October 1913 in her sister’s home, Ella and George Schwenker in Rock Island, Rock Island County, Illinois. She was born 14 April 1886, the daughter of John R. And Mathilda Okerberg Buford. Mabelle graduated from Moline High School and was a member of Davenport’s First Presbyterian Church, Davenport Women’s Club and the Davenport Rotary Ladies Club. She died 6 November 1940 of breast cancer in Davenport and is buried in Davenport’s Oakdale Memorial Gardens public mausoleum. They had 3 children: Virginia died shortly after birth, Marian and Robert.

On 24 May 1945, Albert married Margaret Theresa “Tess” Hart in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. She was born 26 February 1904 in Davenport to Leonard and Mary Mulvahill Hart, a descendant of Peter and Mary Margaret Dougherty Hart who came to Davenport from Ireland with their children in 1854. Tess graduated from Davenport West Intermediate School (now F. L. Smart Junior High School, 1934 W. 5th St,) then from Elliott Fisher Bookkeeping / Machine School in Rock Island. She was employed at the office of Davenport Locomotive Works before becoming bookkeeper and cashier at Bawden Brothers, Inc. AR and Tess lived at 29 Edgehill Terrace in Davenport. After AR’s death, Tess continued to live there with her mother-in-law Jennie Eldridge Bawden. Tess died 12 August 1991 and is buried in Davenport’s Mt. Calvary Cemetery. They had a son, Ralph.

A.R. watched the business grow from a small newsstand in the interurban waiting room into the photoengraving and printing firm. He was president at this death on 1 January 1949. He was director of the Davenport Chamber of Commerce and president of the Davenport Rotary Club 1933-34. In 1942, he was elected to the highest office a layman can hold in the First Presbyterian Church, Ruling Elder. Albert Bawden is also interred in the Oakdale Memorial Gardens public mausoleum.